STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – A Democratic donnybrook has broken out between state Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn) and party Senate candidate Gary Carsel.

The fracas started at a Staten Island Democratic Association (SIDA) meeting attended by both, where Carsel said that Ms. Savino had in 2012 endorsed Carsel's opponent, state Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island), and Conservative Borough President James Molinaro.

Carsel said the basis for his comments was an Advance article that year in which Ms. Savino praised Lanza; said that the borough presidents should be given more power, and also had kind words for GOP Borough President James Oddo, who was then serving in the City Council.

Carsel is running against Lanza again this year after losing to the Republican in two years ago.

Ms. Savino told the SIDA crowd that it was a lie to say that she had endorsed the two.

"It's a lie," she told the Advance later. "It's just not true. An outright lie."

The argument spilled over onto Facebook the next day, with Ms. Savino posting that Carsel "has a habit of lying," and Carsel responding, "Senator Savino I do not appreciate your name calling."

Carsel told the Advance that Ms. Savino "has come out against me in a big way," and that he "definitely" considered her comments about Lanza and Molinaro to be tantamount to endorsements (even though Molinaro wasn't running for anything in 2012).

He said it all "doesn't speak well" of Ms. Savino "especially when she's in the IDC," meaning the Independent Democratic Conference.

The IDC shared power with the Senate GOP until the Working Families Party targeted Dems, including Ms. Savino, with potential primaries. The power-sharing agreement was sundered in June.

Carsel said he's not questioning working across party lines, but wondered whether Ms. Savino "should be part of this party if she's not going to support our candidates."

Ms. Savino said that given the exchange with Carsel, she would not be supporting him this year.

"The biggest question is why should he be a candidate?" said Ms. Savino. "What are his qualifications to run for state Senate? What has he done since the last time he ran?"

It's not the first time that Carsel has locked horns with a Democratic elected official during the 2014 campaign.

Carsel also drew the ire of Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-Mid-Island) after Carsel launched some barbs at Lanza, who has buddied up with Cusick on a number of issues.

It's interesting to see Carsel resurrect the "Democratic-bona-fides" line against Ms. Savino, even though everyone in that fight, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio, stood down after the IDC broke with the Republicans.

But his comments are even more interesting given the fact that Island elected officials have a long history of working across party lines.

Venerated Democrats Elizabeth Connelly and Eric Vitaliano set the template in the Assembly through their work with GOP state Sen. John Marchi, and it's an approach to governing that has been credited with winning the Island some hard-fought battles.